1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an electrical switching apparatus and, more particularly, to a cover assembly for use in conjunction with an electrical switching apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Numerous types of electrical switching apparatuses are known, and these would include circuit breakers, including molded case circuit breakers and other circuit breakers. An electrical switching apparatus can be employed, for instance, to interrupt current to a circuit in predetermined circumstances such as over-current conditions and other conditions. Such an electrical switching apparatus can also be employed to switch a circuit to an OFF condition such as when testing, maintenance, or repair is required of components within the circuit.
An electrical switching apparatus typically has one or more sets of separable contacts, and such contacts typically are in an OPEN condition when the electrical switching apparatus is in an OFF condition. Such sets of contacts are electrically connected together in a CLOSED condition when the electrical switching apparatus is in an ON condition.
While electrical switching apparatuses have been generally effective for their intended purposes, they have not been without limitation. In the instance where work must be performed on a circuit that is protected by an electrical switching apparatus, such as during testing, maintenance, or repair on the circuit, it is desirable that the electrical switching apparatus not only be in an OFF condition but that the electrical switching apparatus will stay in such OFF condition with a high degree of reliability. That is, it is desirable to avoid the switching of a circuit breaker or other electrical switching apparatus from its OFF condition to an ON condition by accident, by inadvertence, or by unknowing personnel who are unaware that the circuit breaker is supposed to remain in its OFF condition. Technicians who perform such testing, maintenance, and repair typically will carry a personal locking device such as a padlock that they personally will apply to an electrical switching apparatus to restrict access to the electrical switching apparatus during the time when such testing, maintenance, or repair is being conducted and will not remove the locking device until the technician's testing, maintenance, or repair work has been completed. However, locking devices can be of various dimensions, and mechanisms that restrict access to an electrical switching apparatus must accommodate such a variety of locking apparatuses with varying dimensions. In order to accommodate such a range of locking devices, electrical switching apparatuses typically will be configured to accept relatively large locking devices, such as large padlocks with large shackles, and they thereby will also be able to accept relatively smaller locking devices. However, if a technician employs a small lock with a small shackle on an electrical switching apparatus that can accommodate a large lock with a large shackle, the use of such a small lock can permit some play within the locking mechanism which may allow at least a limited degree of access to the circuit breaker, which is undesirable. It therefore is needed to provide an improved system for limiting access to the control elements of an electrical switching apparatus.